It would seem that with all the advances of civilization, humanity still has much to learn about how precious life actually is. Yet there is an answer to mankind's need for enlarging its sense of life's value. Christian Science offers to mankind a spiritual vision of reality that can awaken human consciousness to the true worth and purpose of life. And as thought begins to grasp the glory and promise of divine reality, one sees that what we call human life must in itself be cherished, protected, and uplifted if the higher ideal—the spiritual and scientific fact— of life in God is ever to be fully realized by mankind.
Christian Science teaches that God is divine Life, and the Life that is God is universally reflected in its infinite manifestation—the sons and daughters of God. Because God is infinite Spirit as well as divine Life, man is actually the spiritual expression of the one omnipotent Life. Man is not material, corporeal, or mortal. Man's life does not begin in matter, abide in matter, or die as matter. His being is permanent, immortal. The identity of man, which is entirely spiritual, is God-ordained. It is maintained and forever upheld by God and therefore can never be terminated. No power exists to oppose divine Life and its manifestation.
The fact that man's life is actually spiritual and immortal does not, however, provide some kind of metaphysical rationale for considering any expression of temporal human life to be easily expendable. Christ Jesus is our Way-shower, and his whole ministry was devoted to cherishing and uplifting human life—to regenerating, healing, and saving life. His healing and saving works unfolded to human consciousness higher, more spiritual views of what real being is. He didn't teach any purpose for terminating existence; in fact he actually raised the dead to continued life, as undeniable proof that man's being is truly the spiritual reflection of divine Life. Jesus' works and his words, as recorded in the Bible, continue to direct thought to a more spiritual realization of man's immortal identity as God's reflection. To his followers Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10.
